Propeller throttling device for boats

ABSTRACT

A propeller throttling device for boats, wherein a pair of pivoted vanes are disposed rearwardly of a propeller in the water, such that the vanes may be in a position to follow the propeller and may be parallel therewith or at substantially right angles thereto, so that a powerful propeller may be throttled in a manner to permit trolling operation of a boat at low speed; said vanes being pivoted by novel rectilinearly operated cross head and linkage structure controlled remotely by flexible shaft and lever mechanism located in the hull of a boat; said propeller throttling device being particularly adapted for use in connection with powerful outboard motors.

United States Patent 3,58l,699

[72] Inventor Charles A. Pedersen 1,257,165 2/1918 Westendarp 114/145 16230 21st St. N., Phoenix, Ariz. 85022 2,155,112 4/1939 Anderson 1l4/145X [21] Appl. No. 816,590 2,232,911 2/1941 Gurr 114/145 [22] Flled 1969 Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell [45] Patented June 1, 1971 A"0mey wm H Dean PROPELLER THROTTUNG DEVICE FOR BOATS ABSTRACT: A propeller throttling device for boats, wherein a pair of pivoted vanes are d|sposed rearwardly of a propeller 1 Claim, 12 Drawing Figs.

m the water, such that the vanes may be in a position to follow [52] U.S- Cl the propeller and may be parallel therewith or at ubstantially 1 l Cl 1363b 25/44 right angles thereto, so that a powerful propeller may be throt- 0 Search l {led in a manner [0 permit [rolling peration ofa boat at low 1 speed; said vanes being pivoted by novel rectilinearly operated cross head and linkage structure controlled remotely by flexi- [56] References C'ted ble shaft and lever mechanism located in the hull of a boat; UNITED STATES PATENTS said propeller throttling device being particularly adapted for 947,833 2/ 1910 Lund 1 14/ 145 use in connection with powerful outboard motors.

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us l 1 1 26 h 7 PATENTED JUN Han sum 1 or 5 INVENTOR.

CHARLES A. PEDERSEN PATENTEU JUN 1 I971 SHEET 2 [IF 5 INVENTOR.

CHARLES A. PEDERSEN mm JUN nan SHEET 3 OF 5 INVENTOR.

CHARLES A. PEDERSEN PATENTEU JUN H971 13,581,699

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ENTOR. CHARLES A. DERSEN PATENTEU JUN 1 l9?! SHEET 5 BF 5 INVENTOR. CHARLES A. PEDERSEN PROPELLER THROTTLING DEVICE FOR BOATS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sports marine equipment may be used for a variety of purposes, such as water skiing, fishing, cruising, and many other pleasureable activities.

A large comfortable water craft normally requires very powerful propulsion means, including a powerful engine, and a propeller suitable for high speed operation and the delivery of a great amount of power. However, such a combination is not optimum for use in fishing, and particularly low speed operation ofa boat for careful trolling operations. Many boat owners having substantial and comfortable boats have utilized powerful motors and appropriate propellers for high speed operation of such boats, and have found it necessary to employ an auxiliary and very small engine for fishing and particularly those lower speed operations where trolling is important and the speed of the boat is critical. The use and maintenance of a separate and secondary power unit has many disad' vantages and maintenance, as well as initial cost problems. Additionally, auxiliary motors oftentimes are inconvenicntly located and mounted in connection with a highly desireable pleasure craft.

Such highly desireable pleasure crafts are roomy, they are fast in the water, they are generally luxurious and comfortable, and in order to enjoy all of these benefits, a suitable power unit and propeller must, of necessity, match the size and capabilities of such a boat. These characteristics, however, are certainly not suitable for low speed trolling which requires very critical speed control and very low speed operation of such a boat. Therefore, any person desiring to use such a water craft and power combination for trolling most often fails to perform properly in order to troll successfully in a manner which will yield success in fishing for many species of fish.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a propeller throttling device for boats which may conveniently be coupled to boats having powerful motors, and may be disposed rearwardly thereof below the water line, and in a manner such that the powerful motor and its respective propeller is not substantially compromised when operating at full power output and high speed, and whereby the rearward efflux of water may be throttled behind the propeller in order to prevent undue forward speed of the respective boat so that precise speed control may be attained compatible with trolling operations for various species of fish.

More specifically, the invention comprises novel means for mounting brackets above and below the axis of the propeller so that structural support and rigidity of the invention may be attained to handle installations in connection with powerful motor and propeller installations, and whereby precise and proper angular control of throttling vanes behind the propeller may be attained. The invention further comprises a novel cross head and guide rod and linkage mechanism coupled to a I remotely controlled flexible shaft means, whereby a person in the cockpit of a boat may control the angular disposition of the hydrofoil vanes behind the motor drive propeller in order to throttle the rearward efflux of water from the propeller, and thereby foil its propulsive force, and thereby control speed of the boat in a manner compatible with trolling requirements when fishing for fish of various species.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a propeller throttling device for boats which may be used in connection with very powerful boat motors and propellers, and very substantial boats for the purpose of controlling the speed thereof, such that it will be compatible with trolling operationssuitable for attracting fish of various species.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel mounting means for a propeller throttling device; said mounting means being connected above and below the axis of the propeller to carry a substantially vertical shaft on which hydrofoil vanes are pivotally mounted from a position substantially parallel to the axis of the propeller to positions at substantially right angles thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel propeller throttling device having very precise and durable, yet reliable throttling vane actuating mechanism, all of which is very compact and compatible with underwater operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel propeller throttling device for boats having a very convenient and precist manually operable means for adjusting, setting and holding the propeller throttling device of the invention in various propeller throttling positions to attain various trolling speeds in relation to a high powered motor and propeller in connection with a substantial boat or water craft.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a boat with a powerful motor attached thereto, and showing a propeller throttling device of the invention in operative relative to the respective propeller;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but showing only the propeller supporting structure of the outboard motor with the propeller throttling device of the invention in connection therewith;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of the device of the invention taken from the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a view of the manual control and locking mechanism of the invention taken from the line 77 of FIG. 1, but showing the mechanism detached from the boat hull;

FIG. 8 is a view of the control lever and locking mechanism taken from the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of the invention taken from a plane in accordance with line 10-10 of FIG. 2, showing the propeller throttling device of the invention having its hydrofoil vanes disposed in substantially parallel relation with the axis of a boat motor propeller so that the propeller may be operated at substantially full output without substantial restriction of the hydrodynamic operation of the propeller and water flowing rearwardly thereof;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, but showing the hydrofoil vanes of the invention disposed at a slight angle to the axis ofa boat motor propeller, and thereby providing some restriction to the hydrodynamic operation of the propeller in relation to the water flowing rearwardly therefrom; and

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIGS. 10 and Il, but showing the hydrofoil vanes of the invention disposed at substantially right angles to the axis of a boat motor propeller and substan tially blocking the entire area rearwardly of the propeller and corresponding to an area equal to the swept diametrical area of the propeller, and thereby affording very substantial impairment of the hydrodynamic action of the propeller and the rearward flow of water therefrom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, a boat 20 may be a substantially sized and very comfortable boat adapted to operate at high speed, and which may be powered by a very powerful motor 22 having sufficient power to tow several water skiers, if desired.

The motor 22, shown as an example only, is an outboard motor having a gear box portion 24 suspended rearwardly and below the stem 26 ofthe boat, and normally submerged below the waterline 28, shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Upper and lower brackets 30 and 32 secure the propeller throttling device of the invention to the gear box 24 which may be termed a propeller shaft support carrying a rotary impeller 34. The propeller throttling device of the invention carried by the brackets 30 and 32 is generally indicated at 36 in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Connected to this propeller throttling device is a flexible shaft mechanism 38 which extends to a manual control generally indicated at 40 in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Details of the foregoing general features of the invention will be hereinafter described in connection with enlarged view and particular attention is immediately called to FIG. 2 of the drawings.

The bracket 30 is secured by bolts 42, 44, 46 and 48 which are also illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. These bolts 42, 44, 46 and 48 extend through a horizontal plate portion 50 which is generally integral with the gear box structure 24 of the motor 22. This gear box structure 24, according to the ter minology herein, shall be considered as a propeller shaft support and may be considered equivalent to structure at the stern of a boat from which any propeller is mounted in rotary relationship with ajournaled shaft.

The bracket 32 is secured by a plurality of bolts 52, to a downwardly projecting portion 54 generally integral with a lower portion of the propeller gear box portion 24 of the en gine 22.

A vane supporting shaft 56 is secured by conventional screw threaded nut 58 to the bracket 32, this being the lower end of the shaft 56, and the upper end ofthe shaft 56 is secured to the bracket 30 by means ofa suitable screw threaded nut 60. The shaft 56 is generally maintained in a vertical disposition and it is generally close to an intersection with the axis of the rotary propeller 34.

Loop-shaped Teflon lined antifriction bearings 62, 64 and 66 are connected to one of a pair of hydrofoil vanes 68 which pivots about the axis of the shaft 56. Similar bearings 70, 72 and 74 are secured to a second hydrofoil vane 76 so that both the vanes 68 and 76 are pivoted about the axis of the shaft 56 and may assume a position, as shown in FIG. 10, wherein the vanes 68 and 76 are substantially parallel with the axis of the propeller 34 and offer slight resistance to the flow of water relative thereto. The vanes 76 and 68, as shown in Flg. 11, may be at an angular disposition to the axis of the propeller 36, and as shown in FIG. 12, the vanes 76 and 68 may be pivoted into a position at substantially right angles to the axis of the propeller 34, all as will be hereinafter described in detail.

A flange 71 is fixed to the shaft 56 and a Teflon bearing 73 is disposed between the flange 71 and a bearing plate portion 77 of the vane 68. Another Teflon bearing 73 is disposed between the plate portion 77 and a similar plate portion 79 of the vane 76. A third Teflon bearing plate 75 is disposed between the plate portion 79 and the bracket 30.

As shown best in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings, the bracket 30 carries small upstanding brackets 78 and 80. These brackets support guide rods 82 and 84 which are generally horizontally disposed and in a substantially parallel relation to the axis of the propeller 34. Slidably mounted on these guide rods 82 and 84 is a cross head 86, shown best in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 of the drawings. The cross head carries three ball bearing members 88, 90 and 92 which serve as pivotal connections for links 94, 96 and 98, respectively. The links 94 and 98 comprise rods 100 and 102 having sockets 104 and 106 at their opposite ends from the ball bearing members 88 and 92. The sockets 106 and 108 engage ball bearing members similar to the ball bearing members 88 and 92, and these ball bearing members are secured by means of suitable bolts, such as the bolt 108, shown in FIG. 2, and in Flg. 3. Each of these bolts extends through a flange 110 of each respective vane 68 or 76. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the hydrofoil vane 68 is provided with a flange 110 through which the bolt 108 extends and which is integral with a ball bearing member 112 similar to the ball bearing members 88, 90 and 92, hereinbefore described.

A similar connection with the hydrofoil vane 76 is provided so that the links and 102 may be forced into broken line position 114 and 116, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, to place the hydrofoil vanes 76 and 68 in broken line position, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, and a solid line position, as shown in FIG. 12 of the drawings. Intermediate slidable position of the cross head 86 may disposed the hydrofoil vanes 68 and 76 in various positions, such as the one shown in FIG. 11.

The link 96 is coupled to a flexible cable 116. This cable 116 is slidably mounted in a flexible sheath 118 having its rear end axially restrained in a stationary fixture 120 mounted on a bracket 122 fixed to the bracket 30, hereinbefore described.

The flexible cable portion 116 and the sheath 118 are parts of the flexible cable mechanism 38, hereinbefore described in connection with FIG. 1 ofthe drawings.

The flexible cable 116 and sheath 118 extend into connection with a control lever frame 120 which is part of the manual control mechanism 40, shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

A forward end of the sheath 118 is restrained against axial movement by a fixture 122 in connection with the control lever frame 120. This frame 120 is provided with a plurality of tabs 122 which may be bolted to the inner side ofa boat hull at convenient structural disposition therein.

The forward end of the flexible cable portion 116 is provided with a clevis 124 having a pivot pin 126 extending therethrough and extending through a manually operable control lever 128 which is pivotally mounted at 130 in connection with the control lever frame 120.

The upper end of the lever 128 is provided with a handle portion 132 for manual engagement and pivoted by means ofa pin 134 on the lever characteristics, is a latch operating lever 136 having a handle 138 on its upper end in close proximity to the manually operable handle 132 for providing convenience in one hand operation of latching and pivoting of the lever 128 into various positions, as will hereinafter be described in detail.

Pivotally connected to the lever 136 by means of a pin 140 is a latch bar 142 slidably mounted in a bracket 144 stationarily mounted on the lever 128.

A normally lower end 146 of the lever 128 serves as a slide bearing through which a normally lower end of the latch bar 142 extends. This latch bar 142 is provided with a latching end 148 adapted alternately to be projected through any one of a plurality of holes 150 in the frame 120, as shown best in FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings.

The portion 152 of the frame 120, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, is disposed in an arcuate shape concentric with the axis 130 of the lever 128 so as to permit the end 148 of the latch bar 142 to positively be engaged in any one ofthe spaced openings 150.

In operation, a powerful motor and its respective propeller 34 may be operated at full power output and high performance when the hydrofoil vanes of the invention are disposed, as shown in FIG. 10. These hydrofoil vanes 68 and 76, in this position, are closely adjacent had and in parallel relation with the axis of the propeller 34, and in this position offer very slight resistance to the hydrodynamic operation of the propeller 34.

Thus, the control lever 132 is in its forward position, as shown in FIG. 8, with the cross head 86 in a most backward position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

As the lever 128 is to be moved from the position, shown in FIG. 8, the latch control lever 136 is moved to the broken line position, shown in FIG. 7, which retracts the end portion 148 of the latch bar 142 from one of the openings 1S0, thereby permitting the lever 128 to be moved at its upper end to a backward position which causes the flexible cable 116 to be drawn forwardly in the sheath 118 and to cause the cross head 86 to be drawn forwardly along the guide rods 82 and 84 which may correspond to a position, such that links 100 and 102 will force the hydrofoil vanes 68 and 76 into a position, such as shown in Flg. 11, imposing a slight hydrodynamic resistance to operation of the propeller 34.

When the control lever 128 is moved backwardly from the position, as shown in FIG. 8, to force the cross head 86 forwardly to the broken line position, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the vanes 68 and 76 are disposed diagrammatically, as shown in FIG. 12 of the drawings, to afford maximum resistance to efficient hydrodynamic operation of the propeller 34, and in this position, the large propeller 34 and the powerful motor 22 may readily be used to propel the boat at a trolling speed desireable for efficient trolling for fishes of various species, as desired.

As shown in Fig. l, the outboard motor 22 is shown in solid lines, however, an inboard, outboard engine may be located, as indicated by broken lines 23. Furthermore, an inboard engine having a conventional stern propeller drive and shaft support may be accommodated by the present invention. In all such installations, the invention is provided with supporting bracket structures located above in order to accommodate powerful motors and respective propeller functions.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lclaim:

1. in a propeller throttling device for boats, the combination of: a propeller shaft supporting structure; a rotary propeller projecting therefrom; a pair of platelike vanes having hydrofoil surfaces disposed behind said propeller and pivoted relative to said supporting structure; axis means pivotally mounting said vanes; said axis means disposed at an angle to the rotary axis of said propeller and disposed rearwardly and below the propeller axis therefrom and close to intersecting alignment with the axis of said propeller; first and second bracket means secured to said supporting structure respectively above and below the rotary axis of said propeller, said first bracket being disposed above the axis of said propeller; guide rod means spaced apart and generally parallel to the axis of said propeller; a cross head slidably mounted on said guide rods, and links pivotally connected to said cross head and said vanes; said cross head being coupled to said means for pivoting said vanes; means for pivoting said vanes from positions in which said hydrofoil surfaces are substantially parallel to the axis of said propeller and at an angle to said axis of said propeller; said means for pivoting said vanes comprising a flexible push-pull cable means coupled to said cross head for actuating said linkage and said vanes; and a multiposition control means remote from said cross head and coupled to said flexible push-pull cable means, said multiposition control means comprising ,a frame adapted to be stationarily secured in the hull of a boat, and a handle pivoted thereto and connected to said flexible control cable means; locking arm mechanism pivoted to said handle and having a shear pin extendable and retractable; and said frame having stationary means provided with a row of holes disposed on an arcuate path of said extendable and retractable means so that any one of said holes may be engaged by said extendable and retractable means for stationarily holding said handle in a desired pivoted position according to the desired angularly disposed positions of said vanes relative to the axis of said propeller. 

1. In a propeller throttling device for boats, the combination of: a propeller shaft supporting structure; a rotary propeller projecting therefrom; a pair of platelike vanes having hydrofoil surfaces disposed behind said propeller and pivoted relative to said supporting structure; axis means pivotally mounting said vanes; said axis means disposed at an angle to the rotary axis of said propeller and disposed rearwardly therefrom and close to intersecting alignment with the axis of said propeller; first and second bracket means secured to said supporting structure respectively above and below the rotary axis of said propeller, said first bracket being disposed above the axis of said propeller; guide rod means spaced apart and generally parallel to the axis of said propeller; a cross head slidably mounted on said guide rods, and links pivotally connected to said cross head and said vanes; said cross head being coupled to said means for pivoting said vanes; means for pivoting said vanes from positions in which said hydrofoil surfaces are substantially parallel to the axis of said propeller and at an angle to said axis of said propeller; said means for pivoting said vanes comprising a flexible push-pull cable means coupled to said cross head for actuating said linkage and said vanes; and a multiposition control means remote from saId cross head and coupled to said flexible push-pull cable means, said multiposition control means comprising a frame adapted to be stationarily secured in the hull of a boat, and a handle pivoted thereto and connected to said flexible control cable means; locking arm mechanism pivoted to said handle and having a shear pin extendable and retractable; and said frame having stationary means provided with a row of holes disposed on an arcuate path of said extendable and retractable means so that any one of said holes may be engaged by said extendable and retractable means for stationarily holding said handle in a desired pivoted position according to the desired angularly disposed positions of said vanes relative to the axis of said propeller. 